Various types of tape transport systems, particularly for cartridge-loaded tapes, have been proposed. German published patent application DE-AS No. 23 50 816 shows a magnetic tape transport arrangement for a transducing system in which a pay-out reel and a wind-up or take-up reel for a magnetic transducing tape are located adjacent each other and pressed against a common drive roller. Since the diameter of the winding of the tape changes as tape is transported from the pay-out to the take-up reel, the position of the center of rotation of the respective reels with respect to the drive roller changes in radial direction.
Information transducing systems, that is, information recording and reproduction systems having tape transport arrangements of this type have some disadvantages. For example, care must be taken when exchanging one tape reel or winding for another since, otherwise, the tape may be damaged. Systems of this type are poorly suited for storage of the tape in cassettes or cartridges so that tape on reels has to be handled with consequent possibility of tape spillage upon unskilled or careless handling.